


Choices.

by steelatoms



Category: The Gifted (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Bipolar Disorder, Choices, Episode Fix-it, Episode: s02e03 CoMplications, F/M, Hugs, Lorna Dane is the Love Of My Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 15:39:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16411247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steelatoms/pseuds/steelatoms
Summary: What if Lorna /had/ left with Marcos?





	Choices.

**Author's Note:**

> lorna dane is an angel but she needs to get out the inner circle asap

Lorna could never bear to see Marcos leave, especially when it was her own fault; the look on his face as he had pleaded to stay, even offering to join the Inner Circle, tore her in two, and she couldn’t help but feel doubt spiralling in her gut.

 

She didn’t agree with the Frost sisters’ usage of mind control on Marcos, she had wanted him to leave of his own accord, to see how far gone she was and give up on her.

 

She never accounted for how naturally  _ stubborn  _ he was.

 

Beside her, baby Dawn gurgled and looked miserable, as if losing her father was something that was already impacting her.

 

“You alright?” Andy asked her.

 

Lorna could feel tears building behind her eyes, “I want to be alone with Dawn.”   
  


The teenager nodded, leaving with Reeva and for a second, there was nothing but blessed, blessed silence until…

 

_ “Lorna!”  _ Marcos’ voice came as a cry, followed by some nasty-sounding crashes.

 

Lorna murmured under her breath as she swivelled around, “Marcos, no.” she begged to herself,  _ “Please leave, please leave, please…” _

 

She found herself cut off by the familiar sound of Reeva’s chilling harmony, followed by Marcos screaming in pain.

 

Without even thinking, she rushed through into the lounge, not even caring that she, a woman who had  _ just _ given birth a few days previous, was preparing to fight.

  
Lorna cried,  _ “Stop!”  _ when she reached the lounge, freezing when she saw Marcos, “Oh, God.”

 

“It had to be done.” Reeva defended, “Mr. Diaz was--”

 

Lorna yelled, “I don’t care what he was doing!  You didn’t have to--”

 

“Do you honestly think that in this war, you won’t have to hurt a few of your precious friends?” Reeva’s tone was condescending, and yet, still she did not raise her voice.

 

Lorna shook her head, “I never… I didn’t agree to this.” she looked at Andy, her eyes pleading,  _ “We  _ didn’t agree to this.”   
  


“Miss Dane, I’d advise you to--”

 

Lorna snapped, “I’m done taking orders from you!”   
  


Sophie began, “Do you want us to--”

 

“You even try to get inside my head and I’ll put so much rebar into you that you’ll be a walking, talking mutant coat hanger.” Lorna threatened, “All  _ three  _ of you.” she looked at Reeva, “I’m leaving.”

 

Reeva shook her head, “You can’t.”

 

“What, are you going to stop me?” Lorna’s eyes flashed, “You hurt someone I love, the  _ father of my child _ .  I don’t appreciate that.” she knelt beside Marcos, who was unconscious, “So let me leave, or I will  _ kill  _ you.   _ Never  _ underestimate a pissed off mother.”

 

Reeva looked genuinely saddened, “It isn’t safe, Lorna.  You know they won’t accept you.”

 

“I don’t care.  I’d rather be hated than be whatever you people are.” Lorna retorted, “You coming, Andy?”   
  


The teenager paused, before awkwardly replying, “Uh… actually, I think I’ll stay.”

 

“Andy, your family--”

 

He shook his head, “They don’t understand.  I  _ need  _ this, Lorna.”   
  


“And if she asks you to kill Lauren?” Lorna asked.

  
Reeva looked offended, “I would never--”

 

“Don’t  _ bullshit  _ me.” Lorna spat, “You could’ve killed Marcos!”

 

Andy shook his head again, “Lorna, j-just leave it.  Take Marcos and Dawn and just go.”

 

“Andy, this isn’t what you want, not really.” she turned to Marcos, her lower lip trembling as she stroked his sweat-covered forehead.

  
She then got up and headed over to her room to collect Dawn, swaddling her in a blanket and grabbing her rattle before heading back through, seeing that Esme had her jacket on.

 

“You can’t walk with Marcos on your own, you’ll get arrested immediately.” Esme stated.

 

Phoebe remarked, “I  _ knew  _ you’d gone soft.”

 

“Shut the fuck up, Phoebe.” Esme hissed, “At least I can  _ make  _ my own decisions.”

 

Lorna took one last look at Andy, “You sure I can’t convince you to--”   
  


“I’m a Von Strucker, as you said.” Andy stated, “I have to do what I can.”

 

Lorna sighed and nodded, turning to Marcos, “Esme, could you--”   
  


“Well, if my braindead sisters could help,” she suggested, glaring at her twins.

 

Phoebe looked angered, “You are so close to getting your ass kicked, you know that?”

 

“Try it.” Esme dared, “But don’t forget who broke you out of prison.  Now help me.”

 

The Frost sisters all took Marcos to the car, and before Lorna left the compound, Reeva touched her arm.

 

“Lorna…” she begged, “Stay, please.  You pledged your loyalty to the Inner Circle, and I don’t wish for us to be enemies.”   
  


Lorna sighed, and took one of Reeva’s hands, cradling Dawn with her other arm, “I don’t want us to be enemies either.  But I swore loyalty to him long before the Inner Circle.” she let go, “I’m sorry.” she said, then made her way to the car.

  
  


*

 

When the Frosts stopped outside a dingy motel, Lorna couldn’t help but frown;  _ this  _ is what her friends had been reduced to.  Living like they were fugitives; only now, they were considered dead.

 

“Well…” Sophie began, “We’re here at Motel De Losers.”

 

Esme rolled her eyes, “Do you have any  _ other  _ cliched teen movie lines, sis?” she got out of the car, signalling at her sisters, “Help me with Marcos.”

 

“Nuh-uh.” Phoebe crossed her arms, “That’s the furthest we go with Sunshine Bear over here, you can take him on your own.”

 

Lorna rolled her eyes, “Oh, for God’s sake.” she signalled towards Marcos, and some of her metallic bracelets came off and wrapped around his wrist.  She opened the door with a flick of her wrist, and carefully loaded her ex out of the car and held him upright using her powers.

 

It wasn’t easy; her powers had been exhausted with childbirth, and as soon as she got to the door, an anxious Esme in tow whilst her sisters mulled over abandoning her, she could feel the stress getting to her.

  
Her emotions always run high (either that, or extremely low, which was a  _ perk  _ of being bipolar, feeling like she was either high as a kite or wanting to kill herself) and ever since giving birth, she had felt even more terrified.

 

She was about to knock when the door opened in her face, and she cursed John’s ability to hear the furthest of sounds.  She quickly passed Dawn to Esme, holding up Marcos still and she felt her heart sink with regret when she saw Caitlin Strucker.

 

“Lorna?” John looked confused for a second, then noticed Marcos, barging past his green-haired former comrade to check on his best friend, “What did you do to him?”

 

Lorna couldn’t answer, so Clarice urged her, “I’d answer if I were you, he’s not exactly happy with you and yours.  Love the hair, by the way. Where’d you get it done, the local evil hairdressers?”

 

“Clarice, I--”

 

She glared, “Don’t bother.”   
  


Caitlin moved over to Lorna, unable to control herself as she rifled a punch into her face, causing her to drop Marcos.  Reed came over and held her back.

 

“It’s not worth it,” he murmured.

 

“Bullshit, it’s not worth it!” she screamed, “Where the fuck is my son?”

 

Beside them, Dawn began to cry, and Lorna looked frazzled, feeling like she was going to break down too.  She had earned this hatred, she had done so much to hurt these people, people she cared about.

 

She rubbed her cheek, “Look, we need help.  Marcos is hurt.”

 

“Yeah, you probably did it yourself, you psychotic--”   
  


Lorna cut Caitlin off, “Look, Cait, I’ve earned your anger, I can admit that, but if you call me psychotic again, I swear I’ll--”

 

“Can we all just calm the fuck down?” John raised his voice slightly, then grabbed Marcos, slinging him over his shoulder and taking him to the sofa to dump him onto it, “Come in, Lorna.  Esme, you can leave.”

 

Esme rolled her eyes, then passed Dawn to Lorna, “Be careful, okay?”

 

“You too.  If Reeva…”

 

Esme nodded, “I’ll stop her.” then pulled her friend in for a hug before leaving.

 

“Caitlin, you can stop giving me the evils, Esme is the chill one.” Lorna said, striding in with Dawn.

 

The blonde asked, “Where’s Andy?”

 

“I tried to get him to leave, he wouldn’t.” Lorna admitted, sitting on the sofa opposite Marcos.

 

John came and sat beside her, “So you had the baby.”

 

“Yep.” she sighed, “Meet Dawn.  I couldn’t pack so--”

 

John nodded, “We’ll sort you out.”

 

“Thanks, John.” Lorna gave an uneasy smile.

 

*

 

Later on, when John had acquired a bassinet for Dawn and she had fallen asleep, Marcos began to stir.  Lorna hadn’t slept at all, she had been too anxious to; her anxiety had been increased tenfold by what she felt was either a manic or depressive episode on the horizon.

  
With the Inner Circle, she had access to Ativan, to therapy; here, she had to deal with every bad day without any kind of help.

 

_ “Lorna…”  _ Marcos groaned, eyes flickering open, “W-Where--”   
  


Lorna put a finger to her lips, pointing at the bassinet, “Dawn’s asleep.” she paused, “We’re at the Mutant Underground, or… what’s left of it.”

 

“Not our fault.” Marcos shuffled into a sitting position.

 

Lorna nodded, “I know.  Look, I’m sorry that I’ve made things harder for you.  I truly am, but if you want me to tell you I regret everything…”

 

“You killed people, Lorna.” Marcos’ voice broke, “In our daughter’s name.  You realise she’s gotta live with that, right?”

 

Lorna’s eyes filled with tears, “I know.  I just--” she sniffled, “I wanted what was best for her, I couldn’t have her-- I refused…” she shook her head, “She cannot end up like me.  I don’t want her to. Put in a psychiatric ward, treated like she wasn’t human! An-- and the prison…”

  
“I know, babe.” he swivelled around, taking her hands in his, “But if you create a path of violence, that’s what she’ll follow into.”

 

Lorna looked down, “I’m sorry…” she had to gasp in air, feeling like she was going to drown in the weight of her own sadness, “I’m sorry I took her from you.  It wasn’t right.”

 

“Lorna…” he cupped her cheek, wiping away the tears, “I love you, and that kid, more than anything in this world.  We’re not always going to agree, especially in the situation we live. But you can’t go running off like that.”

 

Lorna nodded, but the tears still came and she couldn’t understand why.  Marcos immediately knew, and came to sit beside her, bringing her close to him and kissing the top of her head.

 

“I got you.” he whispered as she wept, still in pain, but able to bear it for the sake of his family.

 

*

 

The next morning, when John came and found Lorna and Marcos curled up together on the sofa sleeping, he laid a blanket over them, then turned and tucked Dawn in tight as well.

 

He knew that whilst Lorna had returned to them, it was not going to be an easy journey, and she would have to face the consequences of all her choices from the previous months.

 

But here, sleeping on Marcos, she was able to stay in peace for a few hours, as was Marcos.

 

John smiled to himself, then returned to his own bed, curling up with Clarice.

 

She stirred slightly, “Hey…”

 

“Hey, I was getting a glass of water, go back to sleep, babe.” he murmured against her temple.

 

She mumbled, “Mmm, don’t tell me what to do,” before falling straight back into her slumber.

**Author's Note:**

> kudos/comments are appreciated!!


End file.
